Craft Activities for 8 – 12 year olds

Here are some free or low cost craft activities for 8 â€“ 12 year olds.Â Create somethingÂ fabulous and practical. Find fun ideas in Craft Activities for 8 â€“ 12 year old kids.

By the time children reach 8 years old, most have a strong sense of what they think â€˜looks goodâ€™. They enjoy making things they can actually use, and have the motor skills and co-ordination to start creating quite complicated projects.

When youâ€™re thinking about arts and crafts for children in this age group, think of projects which provide a practical use once the creative part is over. Give yourÂ kids the ideas and materials, and then let them explore and experiment on their own. While art and craft techniques can be taught, the only way your child will truly learn is to try it out for themselves.

Cool Clipboard

Itâ€™s about this age that children start to really take ownership of their room, so they will enjoy making this clipboard to hang on their wall or door. The clipboard is like a mini notice board where you can leave them messages, or clip on important notes and things to remember. They can also use it to clip on certificates, photographs, and reminders of their own.

You will need:

A Plain Wooden A4 Clipboard (from a stationery store)

Masking Tape

Blackboard Paint (Available from hardware stores)

An empty film cannister or other small container

Patterned Paper (Scrapbooking and wrapping paper works well)

Double Sided Tape

Clothes Pegs or Bulldog Clips

Hot Glue and Glue Gun

Ribbons, Stickers, and Embellishments for decoration

Small Notepad

Use the masking tape to run a line across the clipboard about 2/3 of the way down.

Paint the bottom 1/3 of the clipboard with blackboard paint. (Blackboard paint comes in either brush on or spray on versions, and both types will require at least 2 coats).

Once the blackboard paint is dry, remove the masking tape to reveal a nice straight line. Make a chalk holder by gluing a film canister to the side of the clipboard using hot glue.

Using double sided tape, stick the patterned paper over the remaining part of the clipboard, and decorate down each side using ribbons, stickers and embellishments.

Using hot glue, stick clothes pegs or bulldog clips across the bottom of the clipboard. If you like, you can also glue pegs or clips down each side.

Secure the notepad under the clip and your child has a â€˜coolâ€™ clipboard for their room.

â€˜Do Not Disturbâ€™ Signs

Every child goes through a stage of wanting to keep everybody out of their room, so this sign will definitely come in handy. Simply download our door hanger template, glue it on to heavy card, and then cut it out. Let your child decorate it and add their own words – depending on the message they are trying to get across, and what you think is appropriate. They could make several signs, so they have one for every circumstance (or mood!).

Popular messages are:

No Boys Allowed

No Girls Allowed

Homework in Progress

Sleep in Progress

Please let me Sleep-In

Call Me for Dinner

Knock Before Entering

Please Knock

Tidying My Room â€“ Do Not Disturb

Tidying My Room â€“ Help Wanted

Booby Trap Set â€“ Enter at Own Risk

Junk Jewellery

Jewellery Making is undoubtedly popular with girls at this age, but even some boys like to make surfie styled bracelets or charms for their bags. There are great jewellery making kits available to get you started, but you can make some interesting jewellery using everyday items from around the home. These ideas are a great place to start.

Stitch or thread buttons on to a piece of narrow elastic, and tie the ends together to form a bracelet. Collect up your loose or spare buttons from home, or rummage through second hand shops to find ones that are really interesting.

Make your own charms for a charm bracelet by simply drilling a hole, and attaching a jump ring (from a craft store) to everyday items. Old 5c pieces, board game counters, puzzle pieces, keys, shells and bottle tops all make fun looking charms. If you donâ€™t have a charm bracelet to attach them to, you can buy a blank bracelet from any good craft store or bead shop for about $5.

Create paper beads for jewellery making by ripping long strips of coloured paper or magazine pages, and rolling them around a skewer. Paint a layer of PVA glue around the outside to hold everything in place, remove the skewer, and itâ€™s ready to thread.

Make an earthly treasures necklace by threading shells, dried or plastic flowers, feathers, and small pieces of driftwood onto a piece of leather.

For more information about Jewellery Making and how to get started, check out the Jewellery Makingarticle in our Activities section.

Paper Mache Pencil Case

This project will suit both boys and girls, and with a little bit of imagination, theyâ€™ll create something truly cool.

You will need:

A clean plastic container with a screw on lid.The best kind are the ones that health shakes come in, but if you look in your pantry, you are bound to find something that will work.

Newspaper

Wallpaper Paste (Available from hardware stores)

2-3 sheets of plain white paper

Paints and Brushes

Make up the wallpaper paste using the instructions on the packet, and set it aside to gel. If you donâ€™t have wallpaper paste, you can use a mixture of flour and water, but be aware that your paper mache will eventually go mouldy unless you add a preservative.

Dip the strips of newspaper into the glue, and begin covering the whole container and the lid. Make sure the strips of paper overlap each other.

Once the first layer of paper mache is on, your child can start adding 3D bumps and decorations. Simply roll, bend, or squash up pieces of newspaper to form the desired shapes, and then stick them onto the side of the case using long strips of gluey newspaper, just like you would a piece of tape.

Once all the 3D decorations are â€˜tapedâ€™ on, continue layering strips of paper all over the pencil case, until it is covered in several layers.

Use your white paper to do a final layer of paper mache, and set the pencil case aside to dry.

After 24 hours, the pencil case can be painted and decorated using whatever you choose.

Giant Game Mat

This activity can be as simple or as elaborate as you choose, and it can keep getting added to as time goes by. All you need is an old tarpaulin, some permanent markers, and lots of imagination.

Lay the tarpaulin out on the floor, and ask your child to draw out their very own NZ city. They can mark in the roads, parks, schools, shopping centres, farms, orchards, amusement parks, lakes, rivers, beaches â€¦ you get the picture!

Once everything is mapped out, they can begin building all the bits and pieces using cardboard and collage materials. Theyâ€™ll need to make things like buildings, fences, bridges, playgrounds, road signs and traffic lights. Finally they get to add their own toys to the mat, like cars, farm animals and play-people, and the game mat is ready to use.

Getting Started

At this age, all your child needs to do arts and crafts is some basic materials and the freedom to use their imagination. Gather a box of card, ribbon, fabric, glue, scissors, wrapping paper, and all sorts of recycled scraps, then let them go to it. Youâ€™ll be amazed by what they create, and chances are youâ€™ll wish you thought of it first.

Get greatness delivered to your inbox each week.

Is there anything able to do for free?? im 12 years old and bored, HELP ME

http://www.kiwifamilies.co.nz/ Rochelle Gribble

Hi Miranda5625,Â

HEAPS you can do for free!! Are you looking for crafts? Have you looked here:Â http://www.kiwifamilies.co.nz/topic/school-age/school-holidays-school-age/school-holiday-activities-school-holidays-school-age/Â

FYI- – these are great ideas, and the materials are probably ones that you can find around the house. So, suck it up and try something new! You may just like it! If the materials aren’t around your house, though, I would suggest stopping by a possible nearby dollar store. If that doesn’t work, then you should probably look online and buy something from eBay or craigslist. They probably have better deals then other craft stores.

Haywire7

Add some more crafts. I’m 10 years old and my parents aren’t letting me out of my room, ’cause I was “bad”. I’m extremely bored!

sorry if this doesnt help… but you could invite over some friends or go shopping with ur mum or dad

IGGLE

HI MY NAME IS IGGLE PIGGLE I DROPPED INTO THIS WEBSITE AND I DIDNT FIND ANYTHING TO DO WITH ROCKS AND MY FAVOURITE TV SHOW IS IN THE NIGHT GARDEN THANKS 4 READING MY COMMENT
– LUV IGGLE PIGGLE
Ps YOU CAN CALL ME IGGS PIGGS
PPS GOODBYE

stupidwebsites101

stupid crappy toys

786786

not helpful

boblasa

dumb

katie

i am 8 years old and i just love crafts but wen i am bored i cant think of anything! can you help?

madison

this site has so much free and creative thing to do with your kids and teens!!! i know this because I am a mom and kindergarden art teacher and i always come here!!

sarah

i,m 7 almost 8 and i cant ever think of crafts please help

Sally @ Kiwi Families

Hi Sarah. Thanks for dropping by. Have you seen our Make It At Home blog for some more great craft ideas? http://www.kiwifamilies.co.nz/blog/make-it-at-home/ – the good thing is we are continually adding more stuff like this to the site, so keep checking back and we will have new things for you to try. Good on you for keeping busy!

chantelle

hi i am 12 and at vacationcare i have nothing to do.. and i was thinking maybe you have some craft ideas for me and my group!

im really bored so please think of some i deas for me
please help!!!!
this might help but i love owl dont mind what size or shape just love owl
please hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllpppppppppppppppp
mee

hiba kourani

can you add pictures inorder us to see it and do the same please, thank you

followerofChrist02

I’m 11 years old and I really like to do crafts, and this site gave me some fabulous ideas. Thank you so much!!!

Something I do request adding on here, though, is new ideas on duck tape. I haven’t been able to find any other projects that involve that sort of thing.

To all of you looking for crafts, i am thirteen and share your problem. but always remember that there is nothing complete. you may, for example, see a paper plate as a paper plate, but i see it as a piece to cut out and make a mask of for my younger siblings. any family member will do. i also know that there are the days of absolute BORINGNESS. grab a friend and have a drawing contest, or get some oils paint and make a mural. even by using just paper, you can create a 3d book to call your own! Dont see the day as having nothing to do and having done everything.,.. there is always something to discover when crafts are involved

Redbird

That was SO FREAKING INSPIRING. Thank you.

Ag lover

I wish that if since I am 9 ther sholde be at least three activities for this age grup becuse I am bord with thes craft

Jake

I got another great message for the door hangers!
No boys allowed! Espically brothers!(except for dads!!!

ELIZA RULS

LET ME CREATE A BLOG

ELIZA RULS

ok I WANT A BLOWG

ELIZA RULS

DAWG

fluffelcat

moomoomoomoomoo

Alicia Greene

Does anybody know of any other websites for craft ideas for the same age group using only household items? I’m 11 3/4 and bored. HELP ME, TOO.

Alicia Greene

Oh, never mind. Thank-you, Rochelle Gribble. I’ll head over to that website right now.

elizabeth

I have booby trap now hehe booby

aleos1232323

what?? how am I going to do this

hi you sexy

i like those ideas but they are a little babyish. i am almost 10 and i am getting bored.

na na na

row row row the boat of lame

Anavi Basu

Good, but is there anything which takes less time but is fun? I am 10 years old.